Saturday, June 13, 2009

Tea



Centuries old, yes but still so mysterious. When Yvette and I were in Boston about two years ago, I came across a tea pot and decided to buy it. At the time I drank both coffee and tea but was more of a Lipton, or off the shelf tea type. And I wasn't real hard core coffee drinker either. Once I got my pot home...”Now What?”
So I went in search of some loose tea. I found a store in Northampton called The Cooks Shop where they had a huge selection of Teas from all over the world including China, Japan and Taiwan just to name a few. All types of teas and more importantly, the knowledge to help you weigh through all of the choices. I have only been there when the one of the two owners have been behind he main counter but both were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, always giving you little tidbits about the tea your buying or one you might be interested in. I have several types that I like the best but right now, Oolong, green and pu-erh are my favorites. The pu-erh is a bit like scotch as it is, or at least for me an acquired taste. It has an earthy Smokey flavor that clears the head and may make “the night after” a little easier to bare. I don't know if the Chinese have a specific tea for a hangover, but this one works for me.
Tea as a beverage is pretty cheap. You can probably make 40 cups of tea for what you spend at those drive through coffee places in a week. And, most teas can be infused more than once. The pu-erh tea can be infused up to four times before you toss the leaves in the compost.
The Cooks Shop has a website called Tea Trekker where you can find all of their teas and other related products.
I've learned to drink tea without sugar and have found it easier to drink unsweetened than say coffee. I usually make a pot every morning before work. I usually make enough so that when I'm done with the pot, if there is any leftover, it goes into a glass and straight into the refrigerator to be used as Ice Teas after a long hot day at work. The best ice tea you'll ever have! If you would like more info on tea, the Tea Trekker folks have written a book on it, it's called “The Story of Tea”. You can find it and the Tea Trekker website here.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Pho Bo, Part II “Some Assembly Required”

Okay, at this point you should have what amounts to a stockpot of broth that has been skimmed of it's fat. Sometimes the broth will take on the characteristic of Jello when it's chilled, which is a good thing. It means that you were able to extract all of the good stuff from the bones which directly relates to flavor. For this part of the recipe you will need the following:

1-Pkg of Bean Sprouts
1-Bunch Cilantro
1-Bunch Culantro
1-Bunch Thai Basil
2-Serrano or JalapeƱo Pepper, sliced
2-Limes, quartered
1-Large white Onion, halved and sliced thin
4-Scallions sliced thin
1-Pkg of Beef, or Beef Tendon Meatballs quartered
2-Reserved Beef Shanks from making soup, sliced at room temp.
¾ lb. Flank Steak or London Broil sliced very thin across grain
(Freeze steak slightly to make thin cutting easy)
1 Pkg Rice Noodles, Ban Pho vermicelli rice sticks
Rice Wine Vinegar
Fish Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Sriracha Sauce

Begin by heating the broth. Meanwhile, assemble a garnish plate of the sprouts, cilantro, basil, peppers, and limes. I use a standard size dinner plate but you can do this on smaller plates for each person if you choose. On another plate I usually squeeze off enough Sriracha and Hoisin Sauce to cover each half of a small plate for each guest. This way the can dip whatever they want without fear! You may also leave the bottles on the table for refilling. Place the sliced onion in a small shallow bowl and cover with the vinegar. Place a pinch of salt and stir gently. You can do this ahead of time by as much as an hour or so and let sit at room temp.
Cook the noodles as per the instructions. Rice noodles cook slightly different than Americanized pasta so if it's your first time, you need to pay attention to cooking times and doneness. I usually cook them by boiling water and the pouring the water over the noodles in a bowl and then letting them sit for about ten to fifteen minutes. Then I rinse them under cold water and drain keeping them close at hand for serving. If you use this method, you want to make sure you have pot of boiling water at hand to quickly re-heat the noodles prior to plating (or bowling as the case may be). You can also use this boiling water to pre-heat your bowls because no one likes a cold bowl of pho.
Before you assemble the bowls, drain the onions. Add to the bowl some of the re-heated noodles on the bottom, some of the now pickled white onions, sliced cooked beef, sliced raw beef, and some of the scallions. Add the very hot broth to the bowl. This will cook the beef giving it a slight gray appearance.
Eating pho is a personal process. Some add sauces such as fish, Sriracha, or Hoisin directly to the broth. Add a few leaves of basil and cilantro at a time. Adding to many cool things will cool the broth so use your herbs wisely.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Making Pho Bo-Part I, The Broth

It is without question, one of my more favorite meals. A death row meal if you will. If you search the net for the history of pho, you are likely to hear and read as many version as there are versions of this recipe. From my research, it appears that the soup originated as a possible result of the french influence is quite possible over 100 years old. But no matter the debate as to it's origin, one fact seems to be universally agreed upon, pho is a phenomenon that isn't a fad to fade anytime soon.
Making pho can be a rewarding experience but it can also be very time consuming. Looking through the internet will reveal that many have taken the recipe and slimmed down the work to a more "modern" or quicker versions. I have not tried these as I am by in large, a traditionalist. That is to say, I believe that some things should never change. I am not avert to change, I just don't think this recipe should change.
The first step in making pho-bo (beef version) is the broth. Here are the ingredients you will need for making the pho bo broth:

5 lbs. Beef Marrow bones cut into 2-3 inch pieces
3 lbs. of Beef Shank
1 Large Yellow Onion
1 thumb size piece of ginger root
8 whole cloves
2 4 inch cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
4 peppercorns
1 1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar
6 star anise
4 tablespoons of fish sauce

Start by sticking the cloves into the onion. Place onion and ginger root on grill and lightly char. We are not burning here, more like grilling the pieces. You can also do this over a burner or under a low broil setting in the oven. Just keep watch over them so they don't burn. When charred, set aside.
Combine the coriander seeds, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a small skillet. Toast the spices over medium heat tossing and stirring gently ever so often so they do not burn. Do this until slightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
In a large pot (I use an 8 qt pot which is just barely big enough) place the bones and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for about 4 minutes. Turn heat off and pour bones, beef shank and water into a colander and drain bones. Wash pot out completely and dry. Carefully rinse off bones and shank of any scum or impurities with cool water and place back in pot. Fill again with cool water and add the ginger, onion, yellow rock sugar, fish sauce and spices and bring back to a boil. Turn heat down immediately and simmer for an hour. Remove beef shank after and submerse in a bowl of cold water (I add ice to make it really cold). This will congeal the fat and juices in the beef. Let cool for about 15 minutes and drain, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Keep simmering the rest of the broth for about 3 hours more. the actual simmer time depends on patience. There are stories told of traditional Vietnamese cooking methods that let this broth simmer for 24 hours over charcoal fires. I would do this as well, if I had a decent charcoal fire and 24 hours to watch it. When the simmering is complete, turn off your heat and using a slotted spoon, remove bones, spices, onion and garlic and discard them. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer (use cheese cloth if your strainer isn't fine enough) and place pot of strained broth into the refrigerator. The next day, you will notice some of the fat has congealed on the top of the broth. Skim the fat off with spoon and discard. Your broth is now ready to be used. It can be frozen for a later use, or used right away. Stay tuned for II when we will assemble the bowls of our Pho-Bo.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Tipping

I could never understand why it was such a hassle when I was growing up. I would go out to dinner with my mother and stepfather and when the bill came, there was always a big discussion about what the tip should be. Even today, whenever I'm out with my wife, am always curious about what other people may be tipping and why. In my state, the mandated waitress wage is $2.63. Just so we're clear hear, let me say it again, two dollars and sixty three cents.
The accepted percentage for gratuity, depending on who you talk to, is somewhere between 15-20% leaning toward the higher end in higher cost of living areas such as cities etc. The determination is usually based upon service, rather than the quality of food, atmosphere etc. It should be about service but what are people really doing?
Recently, I had a discussion with a friend of mine that sat down in a rather prestigious restaurant in my area and ordered a rather pricey meal along with a very expensive bottle of wine. Our discussion ensued when I learned he basically stiffed the waitress because he did not include the wine in his calculation of the tip. This resulted in a significant loss of money on the part of the waiter. There was nothing wrong with the service and the meal was, "very good". However, he still felt the wine should not be included in his calculation. I asked him at what point would include the bottle of wine and he gave no answer. His answer would most certainly reveal that in fact, he stiffed the waiter. Unfortunately, I think many people stiff the waitstaff. Either knowingly or unknowingly, but they do stiff them.
Living in a college town, one would think high paid professors would be good tippers. You'd be wrong. According to some of the waitstaff I've talked to, they are some of the worst. Though leaving nothing as a tip is rare, it does happen. The larger problem seems to be more in the amount of the tip and the reason for it. My feeling is people are generally out of touch with how much waitstaff actually make as a base pay, thus leading to the arbitrary tipping practice that they use.
Here are some tips for tipping. Tip based upon the quality of service you get, not how good the meal tastes or whether or the type of lighting. Remember, you are tipping according to what falls under the control of the waitstaff. I think too many people don't have the courage to deal with problems that would be best handled through management and instead, take it out on the waiter or waitress. Here is how I handle it. If i get average service, I leave an average tip. If they are very attentive, take care of my needs and assure that everything meets my expectations, I tip 20% or more. It's not a lot considering what the base pay is. It's a good system and works well as long as we don't abuse it. Take care of your waitstaff and they will take care of you.